


Against All Enemies

by surreallis



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Explicit Language, Graphic Sex, Multi, Threesome - F/M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-04-17
Updated: 2010-04-17
Packaged: 2017-10-09 00:10:06
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 20,192
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/80898
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/surreallis/pseuds/surreallis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>On the battlefield, all they have is each other. The war never seems to end. Sometimes it feels like a dream...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. One

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to Minxy for the beta. Written for the Stargate Group Event Ficathon on LJ.  
> Originally posted November 8, 2006.

**

There was movement finally, in the enemy bunker, come early morning.

Cameron squinted into the eyepieces of the binoculars as if it might gain him a few more precious feet of clarity. Instead the edges blurred. Tendrils of the fog were obscuring the wide lengths of enemy trenches, but Cam could make out shadows moving behind the opaque wall.

He thumbed his radio and spoke softly. "Jackson, be ready."

"What do you think I've been doing the past two hours?" came the sarcastic reply.

Cam rolled his eyes and tightened his jaw. The trench he was standing in smelled vaguely of shit and wet fur. He had no idea why except mud and rain and human soldiers on the edge always seemed to create a certain stench. One of the timbers supporting the side of the muddy trench was digging into his hip. The front of his uniform was wet and dirty, and his skin itched wherever it touched the dark gray wool.

The shapes across the field increased in number and pace. Something was definitely happening. He thumbed the radio again. "Jackson, can you see anything?"

There was a silence as Daniel checked his scope again. From his location on the ridge above he was in a better position to see inside the enemy bunkers. Things had been quiet for days. Cam was hoping the false sense of security would lead this particular enemy company to make a mistake.

"Mitchell." Daniel's voice was quiet and urgent.

"Go ahead."

"They just trucked in an older guy in uniform. No insignia, but he's definitely somebody."

Cam grinned. No insignia? They might as well have put a neon sign over his head. Had to be a general. They rarely showed up on the front like this, but it wasn't unheard of. Some leaders needed that adrenalin fix.

"Mitchell?"

"Hold on." Cam glanced across the trench to where Sam sat on a shallowly buried rock a few yards away. "Sam?"

Her muddy helmet hung against her back, held around her neck by a thin strap that dug clean grooves into her dirty skin. Her pale hair had stayed remarkably bright under the protection of the helmet. She held the short stub of a greasy pencil in her fingers, working furiously over a small notebook, doing the math by hand.

"Sam?" He said again, louder this time.

Her head jerked up, eyes wide and blue in the dried mud on her face. "One more minute. I think I've got it this time."

"Now, Sam. Daniel needs to take the shot."

She dropped her head back to her notebook and then cursed softly as the tip broke on her pencil. She quickly pulled a small knife from her boot and began whittling furiously at the stub, sharpening the lead back into a point.

Cam turned back to the binoculars. "Jackson? You still got a shot?"

"Yeah." There was a hesitation in which Daniel didn't let go of the send button. "Cam..."

Cam felt a sinking in his gut and thumped his forehead against the eyepieces of the binoculars. "Daniel, don't start."

"I just... he's not armed."

"I've got it!" Sam's voice was brilliant behind him.

"You want this war to end, Jackson?" Cameron deliberately made his voice hard.

"You know I do." Daniel's voice was resentful. "Never mind."

Cam ignored the ache in his chest. He hated that he had to force Daniel. He held a hand back toward Sam. "On my word, Sam."

She gave a very un-military grunt of agreement and he heard the clicks as she entered the coordinates she'd just figured out into the launching navigational unit.

_Come on, Daniel. One more time..._

++

Daniel tore up the long grass that was tickling his chin as he lay in a patch of weeds on the ridge. Something was buzzing in his ear and he shrugged his shoulder up high to nudge it away. Up here, away from the rest of the battle, he could hear the faint echoes of small noises. Truck brakes and someone chopping a tree down with an axe, for firewood most likely. A small voice here and there. Mostly though, there was silence. Unnatural.

He settled more firmly on his elbows and dug his toes into the ground. Shoving his glasses up over his forehead, he slowly folded himself around the sniper rifle and snugged the stock up against his cheek as he brought his eye down to the scope. The world snapped into clear focus as the alien-made scope adjusted to his vision. He watched the man behind the enemy line. He was still moving, talking to his field commanders. Daniel focused in, following the shape until he couldn't hear the buzzing or the far off thunder or the leaves rustling in the wind anymore.

The target stopped moving and stood next to a table, looking down.

Daniel took a long, slow breath and let it out. He curled his finger around the trigger. When he felt the calmness, he moved minutely, lining up the cross hairs. He stilled and, between one heartbeat and the next, he squeezed the trigger.

The sharp retort of the rifle had barely filled his ears when red mist exploded out around the man's head and he dropped below the sight of Daniel's scope. For a moment the world was silent save for the long, fading echoes of the shot rolling through the hills. Seconds later the enemy alarms sounded, but by then Sam's salvo was peppering the bunker with mortar rounds and missiles. They were always more effective in the confusion after an assassination.

Daniel shuffled backwards on his belly, out of the line of fire from the enemy snipers that would be hunting furiously for him.

When he was safe, he stood and ran back toward camp, rifle bouncing against his back, his heart in his throat.

++

Alamar hesitated outside of the Governor's chambers. His place as Chief Liaison was not an easy one, especially with this governor, and he so disliked delivering dubious news. He dispersed and drifted through the wall, triggering the tone that announced the arrival of another Treyan.

The Governor hovered in his energy bath and motioned at him to report.

Alamar reported, "There are aliens making inquiries about the Tau'ri in the galaxy where they were abducted."

"Aliens?" The Governor made a show of raising his cloudy eyebrows.

"A Jaffa and a Tau'ri woman. They are asking for the Tau'ri by name."

The Governor scowled. "A Jaffa?"

Alamar shimmered slightly. "The Jaffa have recently risen up against the Goa'uld and created their own society."

The Governor looked thoughtful at that. "Jaffa are stronger than Tau'ri. Perhaps we need some Jaffa to fight this war…"

Alamar felt fairly alarmed. "Sir, the larvae they store in their body cavities are not fully grown Goa'uld, but they are still strong. The software…"

"Right." The Governor waved his insubstantial hand at Alamar. "Do not worry. We have covered our tracks carefully. We have nothing to fear. Tell the scouts to scale down acquisitions in that galaxy for the time being, and to make sure they take no Tau'ri. That should be easy enough considering how rare their species is. Mitchell is the first general that has been effective in our fight against the Palladians. We must guard him closely."

"As you wish," Alamar said quietly. He bowed as he backed out of the room.

++

 

++

The evening was blissfully quiet. It would be for some time now as the Palladians and their allies regrouped. According to preliminary and ongoing scout reports, Sam's salvo had been devastating.

Half a click from the trenches was their immediate support camp. As the sun set, Daniel sat alone using an old tree stump as a table. He carefully disassembled the sniper rifle, laying the parts out on the stump. The sunset was brilliant, reflecting off the settling mists. Yellow and orange and a bright blood-red. He watched it, fingers slowly sliding across each small piece of the rifle, cold metal warming in his hands. He cleaned and oiled the components carefully. The gun was cleaner than he was. _This is my rifle, this is my gun…_

He felt homesick.

He watched the sunset and remembered warm winds over his skin, sand and temples and knowledge of ancient cultures. There had been so many evenings like this, when the sun had set brilliantly and he'd been safe in his knowledge. When the weariness he'd felt had been a good thing, a satisfying thing. When the sounds of his friends laughing had been common. When he'd occasionally touched someone else in a way that hadn't been laced with fear and desperation and gut wrenching worry.

He was getting old, because he could barely remember how Earth had landed in this war in the first place. He realized he had no idea how long he'd been out here, fighting on the frontlines with Cameron and Sam. He wondered where Jack was… He glanced down, locking the last part of the rifle into place.

There was misted blood on the back of his hand.

He stared at it for a moment, his heart seeming to pause inside his chest. _How the hell?_ He'd been 500 yards away from his target, and his brain wouldn't see anything but that red cloud as the officer's brain had vaporized inside his skull.

He dropped the rifle, and rubbed frantically at the blood. It smeared and then faded, but not completely. The small dots were still distinct and stubborn. He grabbed a scouring pad from his rifle cleaning kit and rubbed at the dots until they disappeared and the pad was black with dirt and grime. The skin on his hand was bright red and raw. He swallowed.

When he put the pad down, he saw more dots on his opposite hand. He stared, mouth open, until… he realized it wasn't blood at all. Just mud turned crimson in the sunset.

He felt his eyes getting wet, and he slumped a bit.

Sometimes this all felt so wrong, it was painful. It was more than the blood. More than how they'd never asked him what he wanted to do, but had just downloaded the sniper skill into his head. It was the way he couldn't remember joining the Air Force. He couldn't remember lots of things. And it made no difference. He was here with the rest of Earth's allies fighting for survival, and as much as he felt oddly disconnected from all of it, he couldn't leave Sam or Cameron.

"Jackson." Cam's voice behind him was soft and tentative.

Daniel didn't turn. He knew what Cam wanted. What he always wanted after Daniel had made a kill. Daniel smoothed over the abrasion on his hand, smudging the dirt over the top of the freshly uncovered skin. "It's okay, General. It's just a job, right?" He put some extra emphasis on the word 'General'.

There was a silence and then Daniel felt Cam slide down behind him and sit, back to back with him. Daniel turned his head slightly.

Cam drew his knees up and locked his arms around them, crossing his ankles as he dug his heels into the grass. "I hate making you do that."

Daniel turned back to his impromptu table and watched the last fading tones of the sunset, absently rubbing his hand. He ignored the comment, unsure how to make it better for Cameron and for himself. It wasn't anything they could help, it just _was_. He hated how they couldn't look each other in the eye afterward. One man gave the order, one man took it, and one man died. Again and again.

_Degrade._ Daniel thought. _I'm degrading. Eroding. Pieces crumbling away and washing downstream._

"Jackson…" Cam's voice was soft and rasping, catching and dragging against Daniel's ears in that deceptively despondent tone he had.

Daniel leaned back a bit, letting the warmth of Cam's back, the solid structure of it, take his weight and comfort him. "Do you remember the day this all started?"

Cam leaned back as well, relaxing into it, relief evident. Forgiveness accepted. "Which day? The day we came to the front lines?"

"No, the day Earth was attacked. The day they… must have shut down the SGC and sent us away to fight."

"I…" Cam trailed off and was silent.

"I don't remember joining the Air Force."

"We can ask Commander Verlok. I'm sure he'll know."

Daniel stared at the sunset. "That's not really the point, Cam."

Cam rocked a bit again, pushing against Daniel's back. "What do you want to do, Daniel? We're here and it's miserable, but Earth is safe as long as we stay."

"Is it? How do we know?"

Cam took a deep breath. "What do you want _me_ to do, Daniel?"

"Ask a few questions the next time you're summoned to the council."

Cam nodded, feeling defeated. "Okay."

Daniel was silent then, and the Palladians remained distant and wounded. The sunset remained undisturbed for the first time in months.

++

Alamar stood quietly behind the Governor, waiting to be noticed. It was a long time coming. The Governor preferred to make his officers wait. To studiously show them their place in the world.

Alamar played the game, but he was silently eager for the new elections, when this Governor might be toppled and replaced with someone less… distasteful.

"Report, Alamar." His summons finally came.

"General Mitchell has eliminated the Palladians' Chief of Staff, sir."

The Governor turned with a flourish, a delighted smile on his face. His accompanying aides and the two members of council he'd been conversing with also looked appropriately happy. "Excellent!"

Alamar let the group go through a round of self-congratulation before clearing his throat. "Umm…"

The Governor's blue-tinted face shimmered in the air, and he frowned at Alamar, making himself rigidly corporeal. "What is it." It was a demand, not a question.

"He's asking questions, sir." Alamar told him. "About the war and how it started. About his past."

The Governor thought about this, his form drifting back to insubstantial. He shimmered again. "You said the downloads were secure, Braneer." He aimed his glare at a delicately robed officer, the Chief of Science.

Braneer's form flickered wildly for a moment before he got himself under control. "The imprinting software wasn't designed to be used in this way, Governor. It isn't meant to create falsehoods. It is only meant to instantly imprint military skill sets."

"I thought you said their old memories would not be affected."

"They will not, but we couldn't foresee how the program would affect them since we haven't used it in this fashion before. It seems to have different effects on different species. The only memories we created for them were of an alliance between Earth and Treya. But, as I have said, the software was not meant for such a use. We have no idea how strong or durable the integrity of these memories will be. I told you I did not think they would be permanent. They will degrade over time."

"It does not matter what you _told_ me, Braneer," the Governor replied, shifting the blame as was his way. "You are my Chief of Science. It is your job to make things work. We cannot fight this war ourselves with an enemy so primitive. You will destroy us all if this does not work!"

Braneer's blue form paled slightly. "Yes, sir. I will increase my staff and work harder."

"You'd better." The Governor's form solidified alarmingly.

+++

The distant firefight was starting to calm down. Only sporadic firing split the air now, and Cam took a moment to relax. The coming night would signal the shift to scouting and guard duty rather than active attack. He sank down with a sigh into a camp chair, feeling it dig down into the mud under his weight.

In front of him, Daniel sat on a similar chair, perching patiently while Sam cut his hair. She circled around him, cutting the hair up close against his head, leaving the top long. Cam listened to the _snip-snip_ of the ancient scissors. He'd have killed for one piece of modern technology from the SGC. A zat or a long-range radio or even some battery-operated socks to keep his feet warm. Shit, he'd take a goddamned pen right about now so Sam didn't have to whittle at her pencils all day long.

The Treyans had outfitted them with the oddest mishmash of vintage gear he'd ever seen. Some of the stuff was alien and might have been high-tech. Or not, he just wasn't sure. Some of it seemed right out of 1942 as the German Army battled the allied forces. They were effortlessly progressive in some ways with their instant military skills and alien scopes that could adjust to eyesight, but in other ways they were utterly bass-ackward. He'd asked it about it once, but the Commander had only told him that both Treya and Earth were stretched thin as it was. They took what they could get.

"Cam."

He looked up at Sam's voice and then caught the MRE she threw him. Bacon and egg omelet. He met her gaze over the top of Daniel's head. The bacon and egg omelets were his favorite. He found them at least palatable with lots of hot sauce. Sam knew that, but they'd run out of that particular flavor nearly a month ago.

"What is this?" he demanded.

She quirked a smile at him. "Food. You eat it and metabolize it into energy and fat."

He tilted his head sardonically at her. "Sam…"

She shrugged and bent over Daniel, bending the top of his left ear down so she could snip the hair above it. "I traded some homemade whiskey for it. Third platoon still had a few left."

Cam stared at her, feeling something break and go soft in his chest. The batches of homemade whiskey she'd managed to make over the past few months were few and far between. The ingredients had to be carefully traded for and kept fresh. Her whiskey was the only thing worth trading for on the ground like this, and Sam risked court-martial by even having it, much less making it.

Daniel glanced up at him and held a small book up. "She got me a new journal."

Cam glanced back at Sam. She ignored him, tilting Daniel's head away from her so she could make an even cut at his temples. Cam knew she didn't want him to make a big deal out of it, but it was. These were precious gifts in the war zone. He felt a curling tendril of longing as he watched her. It had been there since the day they'd met and had only grown as they'd gotten to know each other.

He supposed he was a little in love with her. Maybe more than a little. He was sure she knew it, but she kept him at arm's length, rarely letting him get closer. He enjoyed the friendship, it was just… there was something _there_, between them, and sometimes she let him know that she felt it too. Sometimes, but not often. Not even here.

He ripped open the MRE, suddenly famished. Daniel shoved his pack at Cam with his toe, and Cam dug the small gas stove and the metal bowl from the depths, taking the rare luxury of heating his food before eating it this time.

It was wonderful. Smoky and spicy and comforting in a familiar way. Odd the way you missed the little things when the big things were all going wrong around you. He ate it all, knowing that neither Sam nor Daniel would accept a portion of this meal from him. He took care of them in other ways, and they'd resigned themselves to that.

By the time he was finished, Sam was sitting in the camp chair and Daniel was carefully trimming the ends of her hair up out of her eyes. She'd initially shaved it up high like the men, but then the cold weather had hit and she'd been too cold. It was long enough now to tie back if she needed it out of the way.

Cam knew he should take a turn in that chair as well. He could feel the hair curling around his ears and down under his collar. He needed to brief the night crew though. He stood, walked over, and leaned down over Sam, pulling her into an embrace. She made a soft, surprised sound, but she hugged him back and he felt her lips press in against his neck. _There. He felt it there._ He squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, relaxing into her warmth and her softness, and then he released her and walked on, grabbing Daniel's shoulder briefly in affection on his way past.

They were the reason he fought these days. He'd long ago given up on Earth.

++

Alamar motioned toward the hologram of words. "These are the supplies we need for the army, sir. General Mitchell has given us a list."

The Governor frowned and shimmered. "Have the scouts found more sources of the required technology?"

Alamar wavered. "Not yet, sir, but Elos has offered more of their surplus from the Erosian Moon wars. It is remarkably similar to some of the Tau'ri gear."

"Barter for it and tell them we need it as soon as possible. Until then the army will have to make do with what they have. Nothing else is effective against the Palladians."

Alamar nodded and backed away. He knew that last comment was dismissive.

++

It was cold, even in the wooden shanty. The wind and icy rains were blocked, but the cracks between the boards let any residual warmth out into the night. Cameron pulled the long, thin, overcoat tighter around himself and watched as Sam cut the last of the gunpowder and packed it into the small explosive boxes. She'd insisted she wasn't cold, but her fingers fumbled a bit with the last of the boxes, even in the fingerless gloves she wore. They were all so tired.

Cam leaned against the wall, unmoving. He stared at the flame on the candle next to Sam. It flickered wildly in the stray currents of air leaking into the shanty. It kept them both in shadow, and he watched it warily even as Sam carefully kept the gunpowder far away from its reach. It was quiet for now, but he felt the impending weight of combat. It would liven up again, sooner or later. Maybe tomorrow, maybe in 30 seconds. He was tired and cold and wet and sick of it all. He watched Sam shiver and wipe fruitlessly against the mud on her cheeks and lips. He listened to her sniff against the virus that seemed to constantly stalk them all. He thought about Daniel lying in the wet grass on the ridge, a plastic poncho the only thing covering him from the elements and the enemy's eye. Daniel who tried really hard not to resent Cameron for the orders he gave, but Cam knew it was all building in the man. Daniel spent his days silent and removed, but Cam would catch glints of anger now and then. It chilled him and made him want to batter that ridge, where Daniel kept his post, into a river of mud and sand.

He was so damn tired.

"Get some sleep, Cam." Sam's voice was quiet and maybe a bit hoarse. "We need you alert."

He huffed out a bitter laugh at that. Awake. Alert. Fresh. He might never be those things again. "We're going to run out of luck soon," he said. His breath puffed out white into the candlelight.

Sam taped up the last box and slid it into her pack. She looked up at him from the table, flickering shadows over her face. "I know."

His chest ached. He could feel it coming. His big mistake. The one that would send them all into the ground. Something was breaking inside of him. Something to do with duty and honor and survival and longing.

He walked over and extinguished the candle with his fingers, enjoying the little burn of heat on his skin. He grabbed Sam's hand, dragging her up from the table and through the shanty's door. She walked silently with him back to the trenches. It was unsafe to sleep anywhere else but down in the mud, now crusty with ice.

He pulled her down on a reasonably dry tarp, pulling a torn canvas tent over the top of them. She settled in closely beside him, her rifle ready by her hip. He listened to the wind and the whispers of soldiers along the trenches, all of them speaking in tongues he'd never heard before.

++

He dreamed about a car, black and powerful, rumbling beneath his hands as he steered it down a long, straight road. All he felt was the wind ripping through the open windows. All he heard were the crickets chirping in a chorus as the night fell. The world blurred beside him, and the centerline of the road, dashes of white, seemed to hurtle toward him.

He woke with a start some time later. The night was silent. His back and legs were cramped and uncomfortable and cold. Sam was pressed against his right side, and there was wonderful warmth between them. He shifted, easing the stiffness in his legs, and he pulled the canvas up further to block the wind from his face. Sam shifted with him, waking.

"What time?" she murmured.

"Late," was all he said. He brought his hands in between them, trying to warm his fingers. Her hands closed around his, pressing warmth into them. He glanced up at her, holding her gaze. She just looked at him, tilting her head against the side of the trench in exhaustion. He heard her swallow, and felt the warm puff of her breath against his lips and chin. He said nothing, not wanting to somehow break the moment.

Eventually, she let his fingers go, and he felt her hands find his coat and slip between the buttons. He didn't ask, he just put his arms around her and drew her close, pressing his palms against her back for warmth. He pulled the canvas up over their heads. Her breath was warm and moist against his face as her fingers worked the buttons of his coat open and then she practically slid inside with him.

Oh god, it was deliciously warm. He found himself focused on her scent and her movement, on the sounds she made as she breathed and sighed. There were equal parts relief and desire in this small effort. He'd been up for over a day, and they'd all been fighting for months. There never seemed to be a rest.

He buried his nose in her neck briefly. "I'm so tired." he sighed.

He meant more than sleepy. He meant bone-weary, and she knew it. In the darkness beneath the canvas, he felt her fingers touch his jaw and rub against the scrape of his beard. She didn't tell him he could walk away, and he didn't tell her how much he thought about it every night. There was nothing to run to.

"There's something here, Sam, right? Just tell me. Nothing has to happen."

"Cameron…" She murmured it, an ache in her voice like he was someone she missed. Someone already long gone away from her. Her hands caught his head between them, and she leaned against him, resting her forehead against his temple.

"Please," he said, and he'd never felt less like a General in his life.

Her lips touched his cheek and then slid down to his jaw. She kissed him chastely, but then her lips lingered. He hesitated, and then turned his head, just a bit. Her lips brushed against his, and then she pressed her mouth to his. He responded almost lazily, letting her lead until she licked against his bottom lip, and he opened his mouth, letting her in. She kissed him with slow movements and short, shallow licks. It was so god damned nice...

She made a soft sound, and he wrapped his arms around her shoulders, bringing her closer and shutting them off from the sounds around them. Her mouth was warm and wet and it was _Sam_… It made the heat in his body roll outward. He kissed her cheek and then her jaw, and then he tasted the coppery tang of dried mud and faint sweat blended together on her skin. Beneath it was her, and he sucked and licked at side of her neck, savoring it.

Sex in a trench would have been ridiculous. He realized after a few moments that both of them knew this, that she was content with the slow, easy touching that didn't escalate into something else. He was torn for a moment, wanting to press and just go with it, and knowing that this just wasn't the place

"Sam..." He was surprised at the amount of longing in his voice.

She shushed him and went back to kissing him, her tongue teasing his lightly, her hand holding his nape, her thumb rubbing circles into his jaw. He relaxed against her and moved as close as he could. It helped. . He pulled his shirt-tails from his pants, letting her slide her hands up beneath to get warm on his skin. She let him do the same. The bulk of the clothes slowed him down even more. The feel of her mouth as it slid hesitantly to his neck sent warmth down to his toes. His fingers dragged up the smooth skin of her back and touched just the swell of breast under her arms. He got hard, but his body was tired. She stroked his cheek soothingly, finally stopping to rest her head against his again.

When she finally rested and fell asleep, he held her and closed his eyes, still feeling the hum in his exhausted body.

When he woke again it was early dawn. He was cocooned in warmth, and when he glanced left, he found that Daniel had crawled into the trench beside them. He slept with his shoulder pressed to Cam's, his opposite arm hooked around his sniper rifle. He rested his head against the scope.

It was an uneasy alliance, Daniel and that rifle. He took better care of it then he took of himself, and it went everywhere that Daniel went, but sometimes his fingers trembled as he touched it. He thought no one saw.

Cam grabbed his wrist and pulled gently, bringing Daniel closer to he and Sam before shifting the canvas around all of them and then settling down again. He had a whole battalion of aliens beneath him on the ground. He had alien officers and platoon commanders and troops he could barely communicate with, but they all understood one thing: Sam and Daniel were _his_, and they took orders from no one but him. They'd wake him in less than an hour, but he was going to take every ounce of sleep and human contact he could get until then.

++

"Sir," Commander Verlok stood before the council, his form rigidly corporeal, as it usually was. "General Mitchell would like an audience with you."

The Governor frowned and flickered. "Impossible. You know the laws. What does he wish? We will give him whatever he needs to be successful."

The Commander shifted, his boots scuffing on the floor. He rarely became insubstantial these days. He was a military man, and it did not suit his mindset. "He is worried about Doctor Jackson. He wishes to give Jackson a new designation."

The Chief of Science, shimmering next to the Governor, broke in. "Doctor Jackson was specifically chosen for the ancient sniper designation. He has all the proper qualifications. Our tests proved that his psyche was capable of handling the stress of such a position, both morally and mentally."

The Commander ground his figurative teeth against his irritation. Scientists often thought their abstract theories should transfer directly into real life, with no quarter given for the quirks of humanity. Foolish. "Perhaps concessions should be made to the General on behalf of his success."

The Governor was already becoming more substantial; never a good sign. "No. Half of the major victories against the Palladians came with the help of Doctor Jackson's skill. He will remain what he is."

"What do you wish me to tell the General?" Commander Verlok asked.

The Governor smiled. "Tell him we will revoke Doctor Jackson's sniper designation if Doctor Carter will take it in his stead."

The Commander hesitated, only the slightest flicker in his form. "You know he will refuse."

The Governor's smile only grew wider. "That is, of course, acceptable as well."

 

++

Cameron eased himself silently down into the trench in the darkness. The cold weather had had one positive effect. The air was dryer and had soaked up much of the standing water, turning the mud to hard-packed silt. It was late but he wasn't tired. He walked along through the sleeping bodies and past the sentries until he reached the two familiar forms huddled together under the canvas tarp.

He sank down to his heels across from them, back against the trench wall. Daniel slept, leaning against his rifle, a sight Cameron still wasn't used to seeing. It drove a spike through his chest every time. Sam slept with her knees drawn up, body leaning against Daniel's, conserving heat.

They'd fought together long before Cameron had ever come along, and sometimes he wondered about that. About what they'd gone through before they'd met him, what might have passed between them and what part O'Neill had really played in their lives. There were rumors at the SGC, of course, and he'd read the files, but those didn't tell the emotional story.

He'd asked them once, on a Friday night at his house, while they'd all been joking and laughing and full of his good beer.

_"Why didn't you two ever get together? You're two of a kind, you know?"_

They'd glanced at each other and laughed, their gazes a little flirtatious. Sam had shrugged. _"There's a window for every friendship, where you either go beyond or stay as you are. And our window has passed._

Daniel had nodded in agreement. _The timing was never right, and our chance passed by. And by then, there was…"_ Jackson had hesitated then, his smile faltering. Cameron had grown alert then, wondering what he was thinking, but Daniel hadn't said anything else. He'd glanced at Sam, and she'd returned the glance, holding his gaze with serious eyes, and Cam had seen unspoken understanding passing between them.

He'd known he couldn't ask about it, but he'd been dying to know. _O'Neill_, he'd thought. _It's about O'Neill._

The party had picked up again. They'd spent the night watching movies and getting drunk. But he'd never looked at the relationship between them in the same way again.

A stiff, cold wind whistled down into the trench. It sent a chill down Cameron's back. Across from him, Sam huddled closer to Daniel.

For a brief moment, Cam wished O'Neill were here. Had he felt like this when he was in charge? Had he felt this weight on his shoulders, this utter, paralyzing…_fear_ that his fuck-ups would take the lives of those closest to him? Had he loved them because they'd kept him going? Because they'd saved him?

Fuck him. Of course he had.

++

Daniel laid quietly on the ridge, slowly stretching out one leg and then the other. He scanned the wide valley with his scope, fingertips freezing to the metal. His breath rose white and misted. It was so quiet.

Movement startled him, and he brought the scope back a few degrees. There. A Palladian solder creeping just this side of a line of brush. His back was to Daniel, and he carried something in his hand. Daniel squinted and then tapped the scope. It zoomed in. A grenade.

He paused on the figure, lining him up in the crosshairs. It was an easy shot.

Something tugged at his shoulder. He was shrugging it away even as the distant _crack_ of a high-powered rifle echoed across the valley. His breath caught in his throat.

_Oh, Jesus… was he already dead?_

He rolled away just as another shot ricocheted off the scope of his rifle, kicking it back against his cheek to cut into his skin. He rolled and kept rolling. When he hit a stump, he scrambled backwards, beneath the dead, brown cover of weeds and brush.

Something liquid trickled down his arm. He struggled to keep his breathing under control as he stood up and ran, stumbling down the path, waiting for the last beat of his heart.

++

Sam ducked her head against the spray of hard dirt and gravel. The mortar had hit only yards down the trench from her, its impact jarring her bones and collapsing the reinforced wall of the trench in that section. She heard cries from the soldiers who'd been stationed there. When she stood, the hard kernels of rock scratched at her nape and fell down beneath her collar.

Soldiers ran by, dragging the wounded. She stuffed her notebook and pencil back into her pocket and ran along the length of trench. She could hear the peculiar whistle and whir of bullets over her head, the strange impact of metal on air as they whizzed by. The machine guns chattered constantly from the bunkers on all sides of the camp. Not good.

She climbed the ladder out of the trench, scrambling behind the wall of logs set nearby for cover, as the ground dissolved into a torn mess at her feet, slugs searching for her flesh. She hesitated behind the wall for a moment, catching her breath. They fired at the wall, knowing she was there, the slugs tapping violently at the wood, splintering and cracking it.

The cover of the forest was barely 30 yards away, but it might as well have been miles under this heavy fire. She was pinned down.

The bunker behind her position suddenly became silent.

_Oh shit. Shit, shit._

She could chance running. 30 yards in the open. If she ran as fast as she could…

The splintering blitzkrieg against her wall stopped. They were stopping for fear of hitting their own men. She had to get out now. She took a deep breath, counted three, and then launched herself from behind the wall, running for all she was worth.

The trailing fire began immediately, and the bullets popped around her. She changed direction, not wanting to run into a waiting hail of bullets. She felt something hit her boot and changed direction again. She was already half-way there.

The trees of the forest loomed closer, and the bullets stopped.

She ran, afraid a sniper was taking careful aim. Her own breath was loud in her ears.

She had just made the tree line when a shadow suddenly loomed out of the fog. She veered away, but he grabbed her by the sleeve, jerking her up short, her momentum spinning her around him and twisting the fabric in his fingers. He grunted, trying to hold on, and she saw the silver flash of a knife. She knocked his arm away, struggling to bring her rifle up. He grabbed the barrel, forcing it up and out, trying to twist it in her hands and disarm her. She kicked him in the shin, his high boots protecting him. She tried to knee him in the crotch, but he turned his hip, blocking her. The blade of the knife caught against her wool jacket, digging in until she felt the pressure. She punched him in the throat, a glancing blow but it connected and he buckled at the waist, releasing her rifle. She stepped back from him, and he was already recovering, gasping but rising up and coming at her. As she watched, his head suddenly jerked sideways, dark mist settling over his cheeks. His body fell away, shot cleanly.

She glanced up toward the path to the ridge. Daniel rose from his place in the rocks. He slung his rifle quickly over his shoulder and disappeared down the short path into the woods. She turned and ran to meet him.

"You okay?" he asked immediately, nearly crashing into her as they came together. He crushed her to him with one arm, and she muffled a positive answer into his shoulder. He cupped the back of her head as she drew back, holding her close so he could look into her face. "Is that your blood or his?"

"His," she said, grabbing a fistful of his sleeve. "Thanks to you." He winced as her fingers found muscle. "Daniel?"

"They drew me out with a decoy. Winged me. I'm okay. Cam's second is calling orders over the radio."

Sam lifted her eyes to his, startled. "He might just be too busy."

"For once, I really hope so."

She glanced at the dark spot on his sleeve, but they had no time. They ran toward camp.

The camp was a massive confusion of soldiers and action. She ran through it, Daniel at her heels, searching for Cameron. He wasn't there. One of the battalion commanders shouted at her to get a short-distance salvo ready. She veered off toward the mortar pit. Daniel followed her.

She did the math and fed the mortar soldiers coordinates as Daniel took the information from the scouts and fed it to her. The rain of missiles thundered through the nearby forests and along the ridge and forward trenches. The gun crews from the outer perimeter of bunkers poured into the camp and lined the tree line, forming a barrier against the oncoming enemy.

By evening, the Palladians had fallen back. Sam kept up the salvo, moving it back toward the enemy camp, trying to wound them enough to put them out of action for a while.

When Cameron's second called a ceasefire, just after nightfall, she was exhausted and dirty and reeked of gun powder. The scouts declared an all-clear soon afterward, and she and Daniel trudged toward the command center to find Cameron.

Instead they found Commander Verlok, crisp and clean in his officer's uniform, countenance grim. "General Mitchell has been shot," he told them. He'd never been one to mince words.

"Is he okay?" Daniel demanded, hand finding Sam's in the dim light of the tent.

The Commander stared at them for a long moment, eyes appraising and cold. "Come. I will take you to him."

++

The stark, empty rooms of the Treyan's council building were little comfort. They watched as Cameron dressed, bandage on his head where the bullet had ricocheted off his skull.

"Too hard for lead," he'd told them, but they hadn't laughed.

Alamar led them to a small sleeping room, empty save for three military cots that still had mud on their legs. They sat down on the cots and stared at each other and the sterile room around them. The white bandages around Cameron's head and Daniel's shoulder looked brilliant next to their soiled uniforms and grimy skin.

When they spoke, the words echoed against the silver, antiseptic walls.

"How did we get here?" Sam finally whispered, knowing they understood she meant more than this room.

"I don't think it matters," Cameron answered. He rubbed at his eyes and sniffed. "Nothing matters."

"I'm too tired," Daniel murmured, and there was a hitch in his voice. "I don't think I can sleep."

Sam put an arm around him, and he slowly leaned into her, his weight taking them both down prone on the cot.

Cameron turned off the light so they could sob in the cover of darkness.

++

"What is his state of mind?" The Governor was less confident today, his form wavering and showing bits of wall through the stripes of his body.

Commander Verlok was as substantial as always. "It is acceptable, considering he was nearly assassinated yesterday."

"They did not succeed. Our army remains strong and united. The Palladians were driven back."

"Mitchell is asking more questions today. They all are. He is slowly refusing our explanations, Governor."

The Governor thought about this, his form flickering rapidly. "He is tired," the Governor reasoned. "It's been several moons since they were brought here. Perhaps he could do with some rest."

Commander Verlok shrugged. "He is due leave, if that is what you are suggesting."

The Governor's form solidified. "Pull them from the front lines and send them to one of the uninhabited farms on Toshin. Give them 7 cycles there."

Braneer looked worried. "Is that wise? If they're regaining their bearings, they might remember everything if given time alone together."

"It doesn't matter," the Governor replied. "There's no gate on Toshin nor any ports. They have to return."

The Commander arched one brow. "If Jackson and Carter return, Mitchell will follow. He hasn't been fighting for us for a very long time now."

The Governor gave him a confused glance, but the Commander never expected him to understand. It was the reason they would eventually lose this war.

++

The farm was among shallow, rolling hills, thick with forest and long, waving prairies. It was early autumn in the Northern hemisphere of Toshin, and the treetops were brilliantly colored in reds and golds. The farm was thick with fruit orchards and olive groves, most of the produce already harvested, except the apples that still ripened on the trees.

Cameron climbed from the transport ship with Sam and Daniel and stood with them, watching the ship climb back into the sky. He felt remarkably out-of-place and a bit numb as the virtual silence settled down upon them. It was startling; to stand there out in the open and hear the breeze in the leaves, feel the warmth of the sun. There was still grime under his fingernails and pressed into his scalp, and he felt deaf surrounded by the quiet peace of the farm.

He suddenly wondered if this had been a good idea.

"Oh God," Sam groaned, dragging her duffel bag toward the house. "Dibs on the shower!"

Daniel took off after her, protesting and racing her for it.

Cameron stood in the silence of the yard, listening to the wind and just breathing. He'd been weighted down for months, with responsibility and worry and second-guesses, and now it had all receded in a moment. It was eerily terrifying, despite his combat experience over the years.

At least on the line, he hadn't had time to dwell on it all.

++

It was a small house, with a well-stocked kitchen and an amazing array of Earth-like furniture. The early afternoon sun shone through the windows and onto the wooden floors. The pantry and cellar were full of bottles, sealed in old-fashioned wire-locked lids. Vinegar, wine and ale. Apple cider, some of it hard with alcohol.

The grounds outside were vast and unpopulated. Workers from nearby towns came in to gather fruit. The fields were long-tilled and the dead leaves were starting to litter the ground. They could wander as far as they wished, as long as they were back in seven days, when their leave would end. The house was surrounded by shallow hills, a small orchard just to the east and forests everywhere else.

Sam reached the shower first and took her time in the seemingly limitless (he hoped) hot water. There was one bathroom, one bedroom, and Cameron wondered about that. Wondered at the freedom of the Treyan military and the way relationships were ignored, even encouraged.

He sat heavily in a bedroom chair just outside of the bathroom feeling odd. Daniel sat silently across from him, both of them listening to the rush of water in Sam's shower, waiting for their turn. The silence had been too much when they'd first arrived. He was rested but could still feel the exhaustion behind his eyes and filling the space between his bones and his skin. There was a numbness that suffused him and made him feel as if he were standing still, the world still rushing around him. Indeed, he'd come to realize as they'd flown here in the ship, as he'd gazed out over fields and ports and people, that the rest of the universe had not stopped to battle along with them. It went on, living and breathing. But they'd stopped some time ago to stand in one place and look at one thing, to wait for one bullet.

It was a disquieting thought.

Sam gave a moan then. Faint but unmistakable. He understood why. Hot water—any water to wash in—had been a rarity in the field, but it didn't matter. It was still a sound full of pleasure and surrender, and it made his dick thicken rapidly.

He glanced at Daniel waiting in the other chair and saw him swallow hard.

The sound of the water was hypnotic. The sound of the spray hitting skin and tile conjured images. He could almost feel the heat of the water, the steam, as it slid over smooth, pale skin. He could feel it washing away the grime on his own body, and he could see the soap sliding down Sam's. He saw her hands helping it along, pushing the water and the soap along rounded breasts and hips.

And now he could smell the soap wafting from the shower room.

Daniel looked up and met his gaze. They didn't speak, but they both shifted and then glanced away. Cam closed his eyes.

She came out in a towel, the warm steam following her. Her skin was shiny clean, her hair still damp and falling in her eyes. She groaned, "Next." Then she fell onto the bed and laid there, eyes closed.

Cameron couldn't help it. He took in every inch of bare skin that she was offering. It wasn't much. Shoulders, arms and some leg from mid-thigh down, but it was enough to make his mouth dry. The bathroom door closed as Daniel snuck in ahead of him.

"You feel okay?" Cam asked her, voice a bit unsteady. He wondered if either of them felt as jumpy as he did.

She turned to look at him, hands grabbing her towel to hold it in place. "Getting there," she said softly.

He nodded. She held his gaze, a bit too long, and he finally looked away. She was washed clean of the battlefield, he wasn't. Not yet. He was just going to sit here until his turn came to wash the last few months off of his skin. Then he'd feel better.

++

Except he didn't.

They were both gone, and the house was silent when he finally walked out of the bathroom. He pulled on jeans and a black T-shirt and a pair of new boots that had never seen the mud of the trenches. He walked out through the house, looking for them.

He felt a bit punchy now. Restless.

When he'd been at the front, he'd dreamed of a place like this, where he could get clean and sleep for days. Some place he could sit and do nothing and feel safe from the bullets and responsibility. Now… he couldn't slow down. It felt strangely stifling here, and they'd only been here for a couple hours. He was tense, wound-up, ready for battle, still aching with exhaustion and the sharp edge of fear but unable to let it go.

Sam was swinging slowly in a hammock out back. She had a pair of worn, soft jeans on and a flannel shirt that looked much too masculine to have belonged to her. Her bare feet were crossed at the ankles, and she smiled slightly, eyes closed. Her hair had dried to pale, wispy chaos.

He leaned down over her, smelling the soap they'd all used. She opened her eyes and stared up at him. "Hey."

"Hey." He wondered if there was room for two in the hammock. "What're you doing?"

"Nap," she said, with a happy grin.

He smiled back, feeling a little heat settle in his groin. Punchy and tense and horny. He'd been prepared for this. How the desire for sex comes crashing back on furlough from combat. It never really leaves, but it goes into remission while you think about more important things. Kissing Sam under a tarp in a trench hadn't helped.

She reached up and gingerly touched the place on the side of his head where the sniper's bullet had grazed him. "Thank God he was a lousy shot."

"I think it was more about me not holding still for him."

She pulled his head down and kissed his forehead. "Whatever."

He thought about kissing her on the mouth, seeing how she responded, but she looked so blissful as she closed her eyes, settling in for her nap. They had a week.

"Where's Daniel?" he asked.

She waved in the general direction he'd gone. "Went for a walk."

Cam pressed a quick kiss to her mouth and set off, walking briskly away before she could say anything.

++


	2. Two

++

He found Daniel in the orchard walking slowly and kicking absently at stones and sticks. The sun was brilliant in the late afternoon, turning the autumn leaves red and gold. It was warm enough for T-shirts, and Daniel's was just a bit too small. It stretched across his back, emphasizing the width between his shoulders, taut across the valley between his shoulder blades. The air smelled strongly of apples, and Daniel was eating one, the fresh crunch making Cam's mouth water.

The dead leaves crackled beneath his boots as he approached.

Daniel glanced at him, one hand stuffed in a pocket, the other feeding his mouth the apple. "It feels weird, not being shot at anymore."

"It's hard to adjust again," Cam agreed. "It'll take a while."

"What's Sam doing?"

Cam smiled a bit. "There's a hammock out back. She's taking a nap. I think it's too quiet in the house, you know?"

Daniel shrugged. "Strange how a few months can eclipse 30 years of habit. Humans are a lot more adaptable than we realize."

They watched the horizon for a while. The far-off trees and fields. Cicadas trilled shrilly in the distance, and the sun warmed Cam's face. "This could be Earth."

Daniel nodded. "There's a popular theory that the Earth was seeded from the stars, so why not?" He finished his apple and threw the core down the hillside. Cam watched him lick the sticky juice from his fingertips.

"I'm jumpy," Cam said suddenly, voice rough. "And I don't know how to settle down."

Daniel nodded again and turned around too quickly, hands sliding hard into his pockets. "Me too." His eyes flickered up to meet Cam's. "I can't sit and do nothing. The danger is gone, but I can't… I can't enjoy it."

"How's Sam doing it?" Cam kicked leaves at Daniel.

Daniel kicked leaves back at him. "Maybe she's not. Or maybe it's delayed. She didn't sleep last night. Not well."

It was Cam's turn to nod. They'd keep an eye on her. "It's too quiet here. I don't know what to do."

"How do you think it's going back on the frontline?"

Cam felt his gut clench. "I don't want to think about that."

Daniel hesitated. "Okay." His voice was quiet. "What do you want to do?"

Cam thought about it, his heart skipping beats while his mouth ran dry and every muscle in his body tightened and relaxed. It was uncomfortable. "I don't know. Just… " He looked up at Daniel. "I think I need to punch something, get drunk or jack-off. I'm just not sure which."

Daniel laughed and lifted his hands to scrub at his eyes and then his hair. "Business as usual then."

Cam snorted and kicked at a downed tree branch, cracking it. Daniel reached up for another apple from the tree, and Cam watched him. Despite the thick muscle wrapping his frame, Daniel wasn't a big man. He had a lean build compared to Cam. He wiped the apple on his T-shirt and bit into it, munching slowly, the juice coating his lips.

Cam felt that heat jump up in his groin again. He thought about heading back and finding a private spot to take care of the problem. Suddenly he wondered if Daniel had had the same idea, and he'd interrupted by following him out here.

Daniel glanced up at him then, a brief look, but with steely eyes. Cam wondered if he was seeing resentment. Daniel kicked at the base of the apple tree, the toe of his boot sending chips of bark flying. "They should have just left us there."

Cam watched him with irritation. "You're not the only one who's hurting, Daniel. Can you let Sam enjoy this week?"

Daniel faltered in his kicks, and then he looked up again, sending Cam a piercing glare.

Cam met his eyes intently. "What?" he demanded.

Daniel turned his gaze slowly away. "Nothing. She makes her own decisions."

Cam shook his head and stared at him. "Daniel… What the hell?"

Daniel shifted his eyes to meet Cam's. "Does she know you jerk-off next to her while she's sleeping?"

Cam swallowed down a dry throat. "If she does, she knows you do it too."

They stared at each other for a long moment, and Cam refused to look away. Daniel's fierce expression broke. He swore softly and took his glasses off, wiping at his eyes with the back of his wrist while he held the half-eaten apple.

Cam let out a heavy breath and stared down at his boots.

He hadn't jacked-off in weeks, maybe more than a month, and it hadn't been very satisfying the few times he _had_ done it, more out of boredom and a necessity to feel _something_ rather than any sexual desire. He was willing to believe Jackson was the same.

There'd been a few times, in the late silence of the night, when he'd woken, hard and desperate, and he'd quietly tried to get himself off without anyone else waking. He'd moved slowly and breathed quietly, in and out, long breaths. And he'd realized, once he was too far gone, that Daniel was awake, hand moving inside his own trousers, pacing his movements to mirror Cam's. They'd come together, silently, and Cam hadn't felt guilty. It had made him feel better to know he wasn't the only one. After that, when he sometimes woke to find Daniel already jerking-off, he'd get instantly hard and rush to catch up, sometimes breathing louder than he should, just to make sure Daniel knew. So there'd be that connection there when they came.

He wondered if Sam had needed the same thing. If she had, he'd never known about it. Maybe she'd turned to Daniel.

He watched Daniel take another bite of the fruit. "How is it?" he asked, not really caring.

Daniel glanced at him and nodded. "Good." He held out his half-eaten apple. "Try it."

Cam stared at it, the juice running down Daniel's wrist, the concave divots in the white flesh of the fruit where he'd taken his bites. He felt ready to jump out of his skin.

He grabbed it, took a bite and tossed it away, not even registering the sweetness of the fruit as he stepped up close to Daniel.

Daniel met his gaze as he came near, and there was a raw edge there in his eyes, behind the exhaustion. He looked hyper-alert and wiredrawn.

Cameron pushed him against the apple tree and held him there, staring into his eyes. Daniel tensed under his hands but didn't move. Cam swallowed the mouthful of apple, and Daniel lifted his brows as if to say _well?_ Cam hesitated and then leaned forward and pressed their mouths together. Daniel's lips were full and warm and he parted them easily, his hand suddenly sliding over Cam's nape and squeezing hard, trapping him. His mouth tasted sweet with apple, and was wet and arousing. Cam hadn't kissed anyone since he and Sam had found comfort in each other in the trenches, but this was different. Harder and focused. No comfort was being offered, except as relief to raw need.

He shoved his hand down between them, grabbing Daniel's dick through his jeans. Daniel was hard, and he grunted softly as Cam pressed in with the heel of his hand and dragged upward.

Daniel slid his tongue into Cam's mouth, and then shoved Cam's hand away, his own hands dropping down to grab Cam's hips and pull him in close. Cam felt Daniel shift, spread his legs apart, then he was grabbing Cam's ass and pressing against him, hard dick to hard dick, the thick material of their jeans between them. Cam felt the heat and sexual need flare in his groin and spread outward. He pushed back against Daniel, trying to rub up against him.

Daniel was panting already, and he made a small sound in the back of his throat as Cam moved his hips. He whispered, "Oh, fuck, Cam…"

And Cam really had to get off. Now.

Daniel seemed to understand the need. He shoved Cam away in order to tug his jeans open. Cam did the same, unbuttoning the fly and pushing his jeans and shorts down his hips, just far enough to ease them around the sensitive thickness of his erection. The warm air felt cool against his exposed skin.

When he looked up, Daniel's pants were shoved down his thighs, one lightly-haired forearm holding his T-shirt up as his rigid cock jumped a bit.

Cameron wasn't sure exactly what Daniel expected. Wasn't sure what _he_ expected. He knew he was unbelievably turned on right now. He felt like he could come with one touch. It was better than doing it alone. The sight of Jackson's cock, just as hard as his; the sound of Daniel's hard breaths, it all sent a hot wire through his blood until he felt the pulse in his dick.

He stepped forward again, leaning close to brace an arm against the tree beside Daniel's shoulder. He grabbed his cock at the base, squeezing a bit, trying to calm down. He wanted that release, but he wanted that build-up too. God, he just wanted sex. Sudden and intensely.

Daniel was loosely stroking his own dick, and Cam dropped his head to watch, fingertips rubbing at the base of his own. Not too much. Daniel's forehead settled against Cam's temple, and Cam felt the puff of his breath against his jaw. They both watched without words, hands moving and sliding, and Cam was lasting longer than he thought he could. The coolness of the air, the extremeness of the situation, it all helped. He felt on the edge, but couldn't quite get there.

Daniel moved closer, and Cam heard the saliva click in his throat as he swallowed. Daniel turned his head a bit and pressed his lips to Cam's cheek. Cam slid his arm from the tree down to Daniel's shoulders, and then raised his head and let Daniel kiss him again. In moments their bare skin was sliding against each other, feeling warm and stiff, and then Daniel was pushing him down. Cam went down on his back, hearing and feeling the dead leaves crunching beneath him. Above, the branches of the tree waved slightly in the breeze, swinging through his vision against the blue of the sky.

Daniel came down on his knees, straddling Cam's legs, and leaned forward, dick in hand. He braced himself on one hard, flexed arm, hand planted next to Cam's shoulder. "Is this okay?" he asked quietly, bringing their cocks together, the hairs on the backs of his fingers brushing over Cam's skin.

"Yeah," Cam answered hoarsely, just wanting him to get on with it and make them both come.

Daniel rubbed them together, shaft to shaft, lightly, and Cam let out a long, slow breath. He closed his eyes, focusing on the feeling of Daniel's flesh on his, the little occasions of wetness as he seeped pre-come. Daniel hissed in a gasp above him as they rubbed glans to glans, seeming to get even harder. Daniel's fingers suddenly curled around Cam's cock, thumb sliding over the tip to catch the pre-come and smear it between them.

More movement, and even more slick wetness. Daniel was leaking too.

Cam opened his eyes as Daniel wrapped his hand around both of them and began stroking them together. He inhaled sharply. The pleasure radiated up from his dick into his groin and then it shot straight up his spine, making him arch upward a bit, trying to thrust harder against Daniel, into his hand.

"Easy," Daniel ordered soothingly.

Cam forced himself to lie still, but he gritted his teeth against the impending orgasm that had jumped into his balls. "Jesus…"

Daniel's hand worked them both with long, easy strokes, thumb coming up to direct the lubrication between them. Cam shifted beneath him, not able to keep himself from thrusting a bit as he felt their dicks moving together, getting wetter and harder. God, he felt like he might pass out when he came. Nothing had felt this intense in a long time.

Daniel shifted over him, and moaned. Cam looked up at him, meeting his gaze. The blue eyes were slightly closed, his forehead misted in sweat. His bicep and shoulder bulged in effort in the arm bracing him above Cam. He simply held their cocks together now, encircled in his hand, as they both thrust against each other.

Cam reached down, added his hand to Daniel's. It wasn't an easy move, and he gripped hard, forcing their cocks together and sliding his hand up, skin catching and tugging.

"Use spit," Daniel whispered roughly. He seemed close.

Cam spit generously in his hand and returned to stroking. He switched to massaging the tips, and Daniel gave a warning groan. That, along with the focused action, made Cam's balls tighten. He thrust hard and ran his thumb over the head of Daniel's cock. Daniel gave a grunt and stared down into Cam's eyes, panting hard. He let Cam finish them off as he released their cocks to shove Cam's T-shirt high up on his chest and hold it there, his hand a pressing weight on Cam's body.

Cam felt the breeze sift through the hair on his chest, and then the warm spurts as Daniel came, breath hitching. Daniel seemed to come for a long time, arms trembling, breath ragged. Cam came just as hard a moment later, tension seizing up his spine, his eyes slamming shut, and then the jets were rocketing out of him, going on and on, mixing with Daniel's come running in rivulets over his stomach.

Oh… _God_, it had been a long time.

Daniel collapsed beside him, arm tucked under his head. Cam closed his eyes briefly and then stared up at the sky through the jagged branches of the apple tree, panting He felt better for the moment, spent and tired and content to lay here, in one place, still and motionless. He listened to Daniel's breath slow and the leaves rustle. It sounded so foreign compared to the shouts of soldiers and the rapid bang of automatic fire.

"Needed that," Daniel groaned suddenly from beside him.

"Yeah," Cam agreed. He rolled onto his side, using dead leaves to wipe at his stomach.

"Sorry," Daniel said. "I just…" He trailed off and shrugged.

"It's fine." Cam lay back again, feeling startling comfortable now.

They were silent for a while, staring up at the sky. Huge, white, fluffy clouds drifted slowly beyond the branches of the tree.

"I don't want to go back," Daniel said quietly.

"We can lay here a while," Cam murmured.

"No, I mean… to the front."

"I know."

"I don't ever want to pull that trigger again."

"I know."

"It isn't like shooting Jaffa who started shooting at you first."

Cam rolled toward him. "Daniel…"

"They're going to get me eventually," he whispered. "If not me, then Sam. Or you."

Cam grabbed him, yanking him close. Daniel exhaled hard against his shoulder, sliding his arms around Cam's waist and then leaning into him. Cam held on tightly, blinking at the wetness in his eyes. It felt good holding him. He was warm and solid and smelled like Daniel, and a little like Sam. Daniel's fingers curled into his back, gripping him almost painfully. Even that felt right, better than the softness, and Cam grabbed handfuls of Daniel's shirt, holding him in place.

"I'm sorry," Cam mumbled into Daniel's hair. "I'm sorry. I tried."

Daniel only held on tightly, and Cam felt him shake a bit. His stubbled jaw was pressed to Cam's neck, and Cam could feel Daniel's chest heaving against his own. They were both still naked and exposed and pressed together, jeans shoved just slightly down their hips, and the intimacy of it made Cam weaken a bit.

"I tried," he admitted. "And they said they'd revoke your sniper designation if Sam would take it instead."

"What?" Daniel pulled back and stared at him. "No. I'll keep it. Don't ask them again."

"She'd be willing, Daniel, you know she would," Cam felt he ought to try anyway.

"Fuck that!"

Cam nodded. He'd known that would be the answer.

"And don't you say a word to her," Daniel warned him. "I'll knock you on your ass if you do."

It wasn't an idle threat. Cam nodded grimly. "Okay. I just… I needed to know."

Daniel watched him warily. "I'm not kidding, Mitchell."

"Okay."

++

When they got back, Sam was still in the hammock. Cam watched as Daniel jumped in with her, trying to snuggle up until the hammock spun and dumped them both on the ground, laughing.

He smiled absently, feeling calmer. Tonight, he thought, was an excellent night to get drunk.

++

They went skinny-dipping the next day. Not by plan, but by chance.

They woke and had a huge breakfast then set out on a walk to explore the farm. It felt better to be doing something, and Cam was in good spirits. He'd slept deeply for a few hours with Sam pressed up against his back in the single bed, and then the restlessness had struck again, and he'd had to get up and pace around.

As they walked through the orchard, he glanced at Daniel. Daniel glanced back, then held his gaze. Cam felt a trickle of excitement and a sudden longing to repeat the experience of yesterday. He hadn't felt that good in a long damn time. Daniel picked a few apples for them, and when they reached the other side of the hill and found themselves on the shore of a small lake, they sat down to eat them.

Sam laid back on the grass and closed her eyes in the face of the sun. Her T-shirt rode up a bit, showing a patch of skin at her waist, and Daniel leaned over with a grin, tickling her with a leaf. She swatted at him. "Brat! Don't make me kick your ass when I'm this hung-over."

Daniel snorted in reply.

She opened one eye and tilted her head to peer at him balefully. "Teal'c taught me lots of tricks over the years. Things that would make your voice ten octaves higher."

Daniel eyed her. "He taught me lots of tricks too. Things that would make you incapable of speech." He lifted his brows at her.

Her eyes widened and her mouth dropped open. "Daniel!"

"All's fair in love in war," he stated.

"Well," Cam interrupted. "That's about enough of this." He rose and started peeling off his shirt.

"What are you doing?" Daniel asked.

"Going swimming."

"Isn't it a little cold?" Sam asked, raising a hand to shield her eyes against the sun as she watched him.

He unbuckled his belt. "Nope. It's beautiful." They glanced at each other but then watched silently as he kicked his boots off and then his pants. He thought about leaving his shorts on, but realized there was nothing he could—or wanted to—hide from them. He slid his underwear off and strode naked to the edge of the lake. He could see them both studying him from the corner of his eye.

The water _was_ cold at first, and he gave a whoop when he dove in and came up again, a little shocked. He warmed quickly though, and splashed around. They watched him from shore.

"Come on in!" They traded looks and stared at him. He stood up in the waist-deep water and hooked his hands on his hips, pinning them with a chiding look. "Chickens."

It was Sam who finally shrugged and stood. Daniel jerked his head up to stare at her in surprise. She bit her lip, but dutifully stripped down, murmuring to him, "Nothing you haven't seen before, for cryin' out loud."

Cam watched her openly, eager for the sight of smooth skin. The water seemed even warmer as the sun shone down on full breasts and the curve of hip and the darker patch of hair at her thighs. She waded in and dove under, coming up with a gasp and splashing him. "Cold!"

"Warm!" he insisted, swimming over to her. She swam away from him, and he ducked under, kicking hard and propelling himself toward her. The water was wonderfully clear and clean. He grabbed her around the waist and surfaced in front of her. She quirked a smile at him and shook her head, but let him pull her in close until her breasts brushed his chest. He let his hands rest low on her hips.

"Well, _you're_ warm at least," she grumbled, but she let herself drift closer, meeting his eyes when the tip of his erection brushed her hip and then slid, thick and warm, against her stomach. "Very warm," she muttered, lifting one brow at him.

There was another splash, and Daniel was missing from the shore. He surfaced a distance away from them and stood, the water lapping just below his navel as he pushed the wet hair back over his head and squinted at them.

"Sam," Cameron whispered, pressing against her a little harder. Her hand slid over his hip, and she smiled at him. Then she dunked him and swam away.

When he came up again, she was swimming toward Daniel, and Daniel was wading deeper. She wrestled with him a bit, pulling him under with her, then she half climbed up on his shoulders and dove off. He swam after her, grabbing her by the ankle and pulling her back toward him. Cam laughed as she protested weakly. Daniel drew her into a bear hug from behind and went under.

They came up again a few yards away, and Sam hung on his shoulders, casting Cameron a smile through wet strands of hair. Cam bristled with a prick of jealousy for a moment, at the comfort they shared.

She let go of Daniel to float serenely on her back, eyes closed, breasts so close to the surface of the water that hard points of nipple occasionally broke through. Daniel watched, and Cam swam up behind him, bumping against him. "She's amazing," he said quietly, into Daniel's ear.

Daniel nodded, glancing at him. His leg brushed over Cam's. "You want her," Daniel stated.

Cam met his gaze. "I want a lot of things."

"I'd say." Daniel pushed forward, his back dragging along Cam's chest before he swam away. He stopped to grab Sam's foot, pulling her underwater briefly as she grinned at him. He waded toward shore and walked up and out of the water. He flopped down on the shore on his back, and tucked his arms under his head, relaxing.

Sam floated with Cam a while, occasionally splashing him as he teased her about being as pale as a fish's belly. When she waded out and reclined beside Daniel on the shore, Cam had to stay in the water for a while longer, waiting for his hard-on to fade.

When he came out, they were both nearly dry already. Daniel was stretched out in comfort, hands beneath his head, elbows wide, legs spread slightly, cock just a bit stiff. Probably because Sam was lying right next to him on her side, curled toward him, long legs against his, breasts right below his shoulder, just within his line of vision if he glanced down.

Cam eased himself down on the other side of Sam, and she rolled onto her back.

The water dried quickly from his skin, and he propped himself up on one elbow, meeting Daniel's eyes over the top of Sam's naked body. There was a comfort between them all that seemed to eclipse embarrassment, but it didn't preclude the feelings or the tension that seemed to settle over them at that moment. Sam opened her eyes, glancing at each of them in turn. She didn't say anything, but she held Cam's gaze for a while, waiting.

The possibilities were there. Lots of them. He slid his gaze down her body and then over to Daniel, hesitating as he remembered what it felt like to hold his hardened cock against his own, and slide them together until they came. He thought about both of them touching him, about them touching each other.

Damn.

This war had changed so many things.

The moment went on. And then it was too long. In the distance there was the sound of a boat and voices.

He was hard, and there was no reason to pretend otherwise. When he looked, Daniel was hard too. He wondered if Sam was wet, but the moment to find out had gone.

He stood and gathered up his clothes, easing his jeans around the rigid curve of his cock.

They walked back talking about the best way to fry a fish.

++

After dinner, they sipped wine and then watched the stars come out. The strange, unfamiliar stars.

"They remind me that this isn't Earth, every time I look up," Sam said as she leaned out over the deck railing.

Cameron met her eyes as she settled against the railing beside him again. Then he leaned forward and kissed her.

He wasn't sure why, except he'd spent the day feeling restless and content at the same time. He could still smell the lake in his hair and on his own skin. He could still smell it on Sam, and it brought forth all the sensations of the cold water. Of Sam's pale, smooth skin and the hidden curves that got lost in those bulky BDU's she wore for warmth. The way her body had slid against his in the water. The way he'd wanted her so damn bad, and yet nothing had happened.

Maybe he was just frustrated. Maybe the memory of getting off with Daniel in the orchard, the intensity of the experience, maybe it all played a part.

She stared at him as he drew back, only a few inches. He stayed close, waiting, holding her gaze.

She kissed him back, fingers threading through his hair, breath catching a bit as he turned toward her, hands sliding onto her hips, backing her against the railing of the deck.

Behind them he heard Daniel take a long sip of wine and swallow. Cam dropped his mouth to suck weakly at the skin of Sam's jaw then back just below her ear. She made a soft sound and her fingers curled tightly into the bone in his shoulders. She was wire-taut, just like he and Daniel had been. He could see it in her eyes as he drew back.

"I don't think that railing's strong enough for the both of you," Daniel said, teasingly. Sam laughed silently, and Cam turned to glance at him.

"Then maybe we'd better take this to the bedroom. So there's enough room for everyone."

Daniel glanced at Sam and hesitated. She seemed to do the same.

"For me," Cam said, feeling a bit desperate. "Because I'm about to go crazy, and I can't live in those trenches, waiting for the bullets… I can't do any of it, without you two."

It was silent for a long minute, and then Daniel rose, the chair creaking beneath him. They walked through the dark kitchen. In the bedroom, Sam slipped away from him, and he heard the whisper slide of the sheets on the bed being turned down, the sound of her unlacing her boots.

Daniel stood in the doorway, hands stuffed into his pockets; and Cameron reached out, pulled him into the room and then pushed him back against the wall.

Cam kissed him so hard that Daniel's head thumped back against the plaster. He tried to dive in and suck at the skin of Daniel's neck, but Daniel put a hand in the middle of his chest and then grabbed his head with the other, slowing him down. Daniel kissed him lazily, resisting Cam's attempts to fire things up.

"Harder," Cam complained, voice hard.

"You don't need harder," Daniel said against his lips. "You need slower."

Cam made a wordless sound of frustration but he backed off a bit, pressing his mouth lightly to Daniel's and then easing his body against Daniel's until there was heat between them.

Sam came up behind him and grabbed his arm, pulling him toward the bed. He went eagerly, pulling Daniel along behind them.

Sam climbed into the bed, sliding to the far side. She was barefoot and clad only in her T-shirt and underwear. He climbed into the bed beside her, sliding his shirt up and off as he went. He stopped there as Sam lay on her side, realizing that he couldn't just start going gangbusters on her like he had with Daniel.

And he wanted this to be good. He wanted them to be together, all three of them. He wanted it so much his hands shook slightly as he slid his hands into Sam's hair and kissed her.

Her mouth was warm, sweet and sour with the wine. She met him kiss for kiss, but it was different than Daniel had been. She was still smaller and softer and her skin was smooth. He kissed down the corded muscle in her throat, and she made a soft sound. A quiet, desperate sound that drove straight to his groin.

He'd wanted this a long time, he realized. Far before the war started when they were still at the SGC. He'd dreamed about her then, burying himself inside her and making her come.

He felt Daniel shift on the bed beside them, and he backed up a bit. He wanted all of this. He wanted that intensity with Daniel to mix with that sensuality that Sam was offering. Things were different now, on Earth and in life. This was something they needed.

He gave Daniel what he hoped was an encouraging smile. Daniel and Sam had known each other much longer then they'd known him, and it had never gone beyond a deep friendship with them. He wasn't sure they'd mix sexually, and neither were they. He could see the doubt in their eyes. _There's a window for every friendship, where you either go beyond or stay as you are. And our window has passed._

Daniel leaned down over Sam, pausing to hold her gaze. She gazed back, a smile breaking over her face. Daniel huffed out a laugh.

"Stop it," she whispered teasingly. "We at least have to try."

"No consequences," Daniel said firmly. "I refuse to lose you that way. Friendship is fine."

She silenced him then by pulling his head down and easing her lips against his.

Cameron watched them kiss. It was gentle and light, lips barely touching. He felt a ripple of arousal watching them. It was amazing how beautiful they looked together. They grinned at each other as they pulled apart, this time Sam the one who huffed out the laugh. They kissed again, a little longer and deeper. The smiles started fading. Cam held his breath.

Sam's fingers slid further into Daniel's hair and she pulled him closer. Her mouth opened under his, and Cam saw their tongues slide together, the kiss growing deeper. Daniel lifted his hand and circled Sam's neck, fingers splaying out over her jaw and throat.

They took a break, hesitating and pulling back to blink at one another. Sam's fingers drew circles on Daniel's nape. Her breath hitched a little as she stared up at him. They gazed at each other, serious and with consternation.

Cam realized something confusing was happening here, but he wasn't sure what.

Sam drew a finger along Daniel's bottom lip, and then Daniel was sinking down again, kissing her hard. Sam made a wordless sound into his mouth, hands sliding around his shoulders, fingers curling into his back; and Daniel released her mouth to gasp, "Sam…" before sliding down to lick and suck at her throat. He was moving his body over hers, struggling to get his legs around Cameron, and Cam eased back and around to the side of them, turned-on but feeling a bit left out all of a sudden.

He watched as Daniel slid his hips between Sam's legs, and her fingers grasped at his shirt, pulling it up and baring his back. Daniel helped her pull it off, and then he was shoving her shirt up as well, hesitating to mouth the skin on her stomach while she tried to work it the rest of the way off. Cameron reached over, pulling it from her arms. She met his eyes briefly, her own eyes looking shaken and aching. Daniel was at her breast now, licking at the nipple, sucking slowly, and she arched up toward him, grabbing handfuls of his hair as her eyes closed and she moaned, "Daniel. Oh God…"

They kissed again, hips pressing hard, and suddenly Cameron realized that there was no place for him here. His frustration warred with his affection and lust. He remained on the bed, watching, as the rest of their clothes disappeared and Daniel straddled her waist on his knees, bending down over her on braced arms to look into her eyes as she reached down and touched him. His eyelids fluttered open and closed and she slid her fingers around his cock and stroked him lightly.

"Sam," he whispered again, dropping his head to watch her hands. She let go of him to run her palms over his lightly-haired thighs and then up his sides and over his smooth chest above her. Daniel's breath was fast and heavy, and when she threaded her fingers through the hair below his navel, following the line back down to his groin and around the base of his cock, Cam saw the glisten of pre-come appear at the tip.

Cam moved quietly off the bed and stood in the doorway. He was disappointed, but he couldn't stop watching as Daniel leaned down to kiss her again, his hand sliding between her legs. Despite the weight in Cam's chest, there was still the thick cloud of desire in his head and groin. He hardened to stone when Daniel spread her legs and reached between them to guide himself into her. Sam lifted her thighs high around his waist, and bucked up against him as he ground against her.

In moments they were both panting, moving together, bodies close.

Cam watched them come, Sam's arms tightening to iron around Daniel, her hips moving with his as she moaned his name. Daniel's back flexed and trembled, and then he was rocking forward hard with a long, breathless groan against her neck.

Cameron walked shirtless out into the dark house. He took a bottle of hard cider from the pantry and slipped outside to sit on the stone steps. He moved slowly, his still-raging erection making it a bit difficult to fold himself down into a sitting position. He unbuttoned his jeans, relieving the pressure a bit.

The interior of the house was quiet behind him, and he broke the seal on the cider, taking a long, sweet sip.

Well, fuck.

++

It was almost an hour later when Daniel came out, barefoot, in his jeans and T-shirt, and sat silently on the steps below him. Cam stared at him a moment and then handed down the bottle of hard cider. Daniel took it and had a long swallow. He kept it, staring down at the wire lock on the lid, picking at it with the thumb of his left hand.

"I'm sorry," he said, finally, voice sincere.

Cam hesitated before sighing in surrender. "It's okay. I'm the one who wanted all of us in there. Ironic how it all turned out, isn't it?"

Daniel took another sip and then handed the bottle back. "It wasn't you, Cameron. That was… Jesus… that was me and Sam." He leaned forward, elbows on knees, and hung his head wearily. "It had nothing to do with you."

"Well, that was obvious."

"I know you wanted it to go differently. I know how much you want Sam, but…"

"Look," Cam interrupted him. "Maybe I've been pushing too hard. This war is so damned miserable, and I feel like we're living on borrowed time. It's hard not to act like this is your last day on Earth—Toshin—whatever, when it really might be."

Daniel turned slightly and glanced at him. "We have to figure this out as it comes, Cam. There's no set formula here."

Cam nodded slightly. "Did you and Sam talk about this?"

Daniel sighed. "Yeah, a bit. We have some shit to figure out, obviously." He looked up and held Cam's gaze. "You can't help us with this. It doesn't change what's between you and I though, and it doesn't change what's between you and Sam."

"Of course it does."

"It doesn't have to. Not in a bad way."

There was a sound from the darkened kitchen, and Cam felt Sam sit down behind him and slide her arms and legs around him. She pressed up behind his back and set her head on his shoulder. It made him feel warm and sent the alcohol buzzing in his blood and his head. "It was a surprise, Cam. We didn't expect that. We thought the friendship was… well, just that."

"I guess that window hadn't passed after all," Cam said, taking a long drink.

She butted him gently in the back of the head, and he smiled around the mouth of the bottle. "Wise ass," she muttered, but there was a smile in her voice.

"Well, it was sort of hot watching you two go at it."

Daniel smiled wryly up at Sam. "Great. He's a voyeur now."

Cam shrugged. "You could make me a movie for my birthday." Sam pinched him. "Ow!" He tilted his head to glare back at her. "I outrank you now, you know. No pinching the General." She pinched him again, but in a place a lot more sensitive. He nearly spilled his cider. "Jesus!"

Daniel grabbed the bottle from him and got up, stretching with a yawn.

Cam watched him. "Well, at least you could tell me how it was."

Daniel thought about it a moment and then turned to face him on the steps. "You remember yesterday in the orchard?"

Cam lifted his brows in surprise. Daniel smiled at him and walked past him up the steps and into the house.

"Wow," Cam exclaimed quietly.

"What happened in the orchard yesterday?" Sam demanded, loudly.

++

He woke in the darkness of pre-dawn, sleep still heavy in his limbs and mind. It was cool against his side, and he realized Sam was gone. He heard Daniel snoring softly across the bed.

The bathroom door opened, and bare feet padded across the floor. He watched as she walked naked across the room, stopping briefly to glance out the window. The moonlight gave her pale skin a blue wash, and he followed the curve of her breasts and the gentle concave dip of her belly. The window was open and he could feel the light breeze coming in. Her nipples were puckered up hard in the cool air. It made him ache.

Then she was coming back to bed, coming down on one knee on the mattress and catching his eye, seeing he was awake.

"Hi," she whispered with a faint smile.

"Hi," he whispered back, a bit breathless with her shadowed, naked body in front of him.

She studied him a moment and then sank down on one leg beside him, bracing her arm on the other side of his hip. He didn't try to hide his interest in her. He slid his gaze down to her breasts and the hard nipples and then down further to where the small, soft patch of hair was half hidden between her thighs. He wanted to touch her, test the tightness of one nipple and drag his knuckles down her skin.

"I'm sorry things are so complicated," she said, quietly and seriously.

"They don't have to be," he whispered. "Nothing between the three of us has to be."

"But what if…"

"Sam," he interrupted her, meeting her eyes with an intense gaze. "Please. I'm an open book to you. I have been since the day we met. There may be other people in your life who were more… complex, but I'm not one of them."

She stared at him, and he watched her think about that. "The last person who said that to me, so to speak, ended up being the most complex person I've ever known."

"Open book," he repeated, and he met her gaze steadily.

She nodded slightly, and he was touched a bit by how lost she appeared for a moment. He reached up and ran his thumb over one swollen nipple. She inhaled slowly, lips parting as her eyes met his. He circled the nipple slowly and then cupped her breast, filling his warm hand with her chilled flesh. He heard her swallow.

"I understand there's something there that you and Daniel have to figure out, but there's something _here_ too."

She licked her lips, and his eyes followed the small motion. His dick was waking up and thickening, eager after the frustration earlier in the evening.

"What about you and Daniel?" she asked, and he knew that would be her question.

"Daniel and I are… a lot less complicated," he answered. In truth he wasn't sure what Daniel and he were, but he knew that Sam had a place in it.

She leaned down and kissed him. His dick rapidly thickened, but he moved slowly with her, his desperation eased by release the day before and the weariness still threading through his body. He wanted to connect with her. Wanted to learn her. He wanted to make her come, hard. He thought he might be able to come himself just from that, like an inexperienced teenager.

He moved his mouth with hers, letting her lick at his lips and tease his tongue. He pulled her slowly over the top of him, until she was straddling his hips, the sheet between them. He felt her warmth through the cotton against the curved hardness of his cock. She kissed his jaw, dragging her lips against the stubble there.

He slid his hand down, always slowly, and cupped the small patch of hair between her thighs. It was straight and silky smooth. Rare. He eased his fingers further, between the folds of skin there. Her thighs tightened against his hips, and her breath puffed out against his cheek in a small, quiet gasp.

It made his dick feel heavy and tight.

He kissed her again, fingers massaging languorously, tongue moving at the same pace as he kept their mouths twisting and sliding. She was wet. It brought a long sigh out of him as his arousal built.

He broke the kiss and slid his free hand up and over her ribs, hooking her under the arm and nudging her higher, until he could take one nipple completely into his mouth. He circled it with the tip of his tongue and then drew on it deeply, hearing his own breaths heavy in the silence of the room. He slid two fingers against her damp skin, and caught her clit between them. He set a leisurely rhythm, dragging the fingers back and forth with slow, deliberate movements. Soft at first, and when she pressed down into him, growing slicker, he stroked harder with the thick pads of his fingers and she moaned, long and soft, above him.

_Oh, fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck._

She backed up a bit, leaning down to kiss him, her hips sliding away from his fingers. He grabbed for her, but she jerked away, sliding down his legs and reaching up to pull the sheet away from his hips. The cool air rushed against his hardened cock, making it jump. She slid back up, reaching between her legs to grasp him and give him a slow stroke.

He arched his head back into his pillow with a muttered curse. Then she was sinking down around him, warm and wet and tight, and he stared at her, wordlessly.

She rested there a moment, when he was buried inside her. He remembered Daniel thrusting against her only hours before, and wondered if she was sore, wondered if some part of Daniel remained there soaking into him. He ran his hands up her thighs and grasped her hips, holding her steady as he pushed upward.

She groaned his name. "Cameron…"

He felt a breath burst out of him, and realized he'd been holding it. "Sam, Jesus…"

She moved on him then, hips rolling slowly, panting breaths soft and quick. The shadowed smoothness of her skin distracted him, letting him catch his breath even as it forced him further toward the finish. The tug and push of her body on his made his toes curl. He let her ride, watching her from slitted eyes, fingers curling into the skin of her hips, muscles flexing as he jerked up to meet her just a little.

She was getting closer, and he was enthralled. She used only her legs to push her up and down, her hands fluttered at her sides, fingertips brushing the sheet. She didn't close her eyes, sometimes holding his gaze, sometimes arching her head back to look at the ceiling, bottom lip worried between her teeth.

When she leaned back, resting her hands on his parted thighs, he almost came. She was breathing harder then, moving faster, and he knew he wasn't lasting much longer. He pushed upward and slid his thumb against her clit.

She came with a shudder and a low moan, her hand going to his and holding his thumb there while she moved against it. He had to grit his teeth and nearly bite his own lip to keep from going off. When her grip relaxed and she opened her eyes, he grabbed her hips and pulled her down, burying his dick deep. The corners of her mouth turned up and she braced her hands on his shoulders, leaning forward a bit and rocking with him.

He gave a rough grunt and came, squeezing his eyes shut against the pleasure of it as it went on and on. She stayed with him, grinding down gently on him until he was through it and coming down the other side. He groaned again at the relief in his muscles as he relaxed afterward, body going limp.

She stretched out on top of him, mimicking his groan, tangling her legs with his. The coolness of the breeze felt good now, not chilling.

He ran his palms down her back and over the curve of her ass and then back up again. He loved the feeling and did it again, slowly, then repeatedly.

She relaxed against him.

"Well," Daniel's voice came from the bed next to them. "Will you finally stop walking around with your dick half-hard now and give us a little peace?"

Sam broke out laughing, and Cam flipped him off in the dark, holding Sam in place. 'No peace," Cam said, settling back down happily. "Definitely no peace yet."

 

++

The days starting slipping by a little too fast after that. The next day dawned with thunder and rain, and after a round of showers, they ended up at the kitchen table playing poker.

Cam was up fifty bucks, deftly ignoring Sam's blatant attempts to distract him in order to win her money back, when Daniel suggested strip poker. Cam had grumpily swept the money off the table, irritated that Daniel had finally found a way to stop the money loss, because there was no way he wasn't playing strip poker with these two if they were willing.

Except he immediately started losing. And Sam nearly danced with glee when he finally lost his pants.

"Remember when the _other_ SG-1 took your pants on the Prometheus?"

"Yes," Cam grumbled. "And it's still not 'always'."

She grinned at him, and watched pointedly while he unbuckled his belt and stepped out of them.

He lost interest once she lost her shirt, and by the time Daniel had lost completely and was naked except for his socks, Cam was pulling Sam up out of her chair and kissing her, hard.

She turned to Daniel as he came up behind her, and Cam grabbed them both, pulling them toward the bedroom.

He was kissing both of them, one and then the other, and his mind was one second away from exploding on him. In the darkness of the closed bedroom, fingers pulled at the waistband of his shorts, and he listened to the fabric rustling as Sam stripped the rest of the way down beside him. Daniel kissed him, tongue driving deep inside his mouth, half-earnest erection brushing his and then sliding up his belly. He stepped backwards, driven by force, and hit the bed, sitting down suddenly.

Sam's arms came around from behind, and he felt her breasts drag across his back. She pressed her mouth to his jaw and then the side of his neck, hands rubbing through the hair on his chest. He let out a hard breath before sucking it back in as Daniel's hands ran up his thighs and then pushed them apart. One of the hands ran up and palmed his cock. He was hard in seconds. And then Cam was watching as Daniel grabbed his dick by the base and bent down over it.

Cam leaned back with a gasp as Daniel's mouth closed over him, hot and wet. Sam chuckled in his ear and then bit his earlobe. He bunched his fists in the sheets, bracing himself, letting his thighs fall open further as Daniel knelt down between them.

"You know what you're doing?" he asked, breathlessly. Daniel glared up at him, and Cam backpedaled quickly. "Uh, okay, okay." _Christ, just don't stop!_

Daniel's tongue swiped over the head of his cock, his hands occasionally cupping his balls and squeezing lightly. With Sam still kissing his neck and drawing her nails up his chest, Cam was completely out of breath. He tried to push up into Daniel's mouth, wanting to feel that heat all the way down his length, but Daniel pushed back, fingers digging into his skin. His terms. Cam could behave or forget it. Cameron dug his heels against the floor and kept his hips planted on the bed.

"Stop," he finally gasped. "Stop." Because orgasm was racing toward him, and he didn't want to be finished yet. Not when this was their first time altogether. He didn't want to be the first one done, collapsed on the bed while Daniel fucked Sam and they got off together.

Daniel let him go, and Cam twisted around, pushing Sam down on the bed. She went down on her back, bracing herself on her elbows, and he slid down between her legs. He slid his tongue around her clit and then went in with his whole mouth, groaning at the taste of her, all soap and sex. When he glanced up at her, she was kissing Daniel, her hand between his legs, stroking him slowly. Cam tested and tried, fast and slow, light and heavy, trying to find her key. When she was moaning, hips lifting up against him, he eased two fingers inside of her. She came, shuddering and slippery, groaning into Daniel's mouth.

He felt supremely contented then, as well as turned-the-fuck-ON, as she collapsed into a boneless heap among the sheets, glancing at him with slightly awe-struck eyes. He smiled and wiped at his mouth, and then Daniel was there, grabbing Cam's head and kissing him, shoving his tongue past Cam's lips and sucking at his mouth. Cam leaned into him, letting him taste.

They sat together on the bed, facing each other, legs overlapping, and jerked each other off as they kissed. It was intense and a bit messy, and he could hear Sam swear softly behind them as she watched. She got them a towel afterward and then climbed in between them to take a nap.

For the first time in a long time, Cam slept soundly.

++

The day before the ship came for them, they went back to the lake.

It was colder than before, but the sun was warm, and they swam for an hour before Cameron climbed out and flopped down on the shore to sun himself and dry off. He listened to Sam and Daniel laughing and splashing in the water, opening his eyes when it got quiet to make sure they weren't out there fucking without him.

He dozed for a bit, because he awoke with a start to find Daniel leaning over him, hair dripping onto his chest. "Eh," Cam grunted at him.

Daniel slid down onto his back beside Cam. "Tomorrow they come for us," he said quietly.

Cameron stared at the sky, breathing. "I know."

"I just want this whole fucking thing to be over with."

"It will be. Eventually."

"Before we all die or after?"

"Daniel…"

Daniel lifted his hands to his face and scrubbed at his eyes tiredly. "Sorry."

Cam propped himself up and watched with a heavy heart. Daniel was burning out, and that was dangerous. He was worried. Daniel caught him looking and reached out, cupping the back of his head. "Come here."

Cam went and let Daniel kiss him long and slow. His skin was still wet and beaded with water, and Cam slowly started licking it away, starting at his jaw and moving down his chest. He watched Daniel's cock thicken and grow as he sucked at the skin over Daniel's stomach. It curved just a bit, settling hard and ready on Daniel's belly.

Cam lapped the water from Daniel's navel and watched as it jumped a bit. Daniel's hand slid up his back. Cam hesitated over Daniel's cock, breathing warmly on it. Daniel's hand squeezed his neck lightly and then his fingers threaded into Cam's hair. He pushed Cam's head down a bit, gently. "Just try it," he suggested, voice soft and wanting.

Cam licked a stripe down the shaft, and it jumped up against his tongue. He tentatively touched the smooth head, swirling his tongue around. Daniel let out a slow breath. His hand remained on Cam's head, but he didn't push. He grabbed slow handfuls of Cam's hair, encouraging him.

There was a soft splash as Sam came out of the water and approached them. She laid down on the other side of Daniel, and Cam heard them kiss. He brought his hand up and lightly palmed Daniel's balls, then he curled his fingers around Daniel's dick and lifted it, sliding his mouth down over it. Daniel groaned, and his hand tightened in Cam's hair.

Cam was so hard, it hurt.

He mouthed Daniel the same way it had been done to him over the years. Something he'd never really thought he'd do, but he couldn't deny he'd been curious. Maybe more than curious if the past week was any indication. Sam's fingers were brushing over Daniel's hip and then sliding over the inside of his thigh. They still hadn't quite figured out what the whole sexual dynamic between them should be. Fucking was good, but they seemed hesitant to try anything else. Oddly enough, the rest was more intimate than sex itself, and they needed time to ease into it. Cam wished they'd had more time.

Daniel was breathing hard, and Cam sucked, sliding his mouth up so he could tongue the sensitive part below the head. Daniel flexed a bit. Cam brought his hand up to help, and Daniel's hips lifted. "Don't stop," he gasped, and Cam sucked hard, hand keeping a steady rhythm.

Daniel gave a hoarse groan and then he was coming, flooding Cam's mouth and slicking his hand, thighs stomach muscles rippling just slightly. He relaxed back against the grass with a sigh, and Cam rested his forehead against his damp thigh, trying to catch his breath. _Jesus… _

Sam's fingers stroked through his hair, and he sat up, wiping his mouth. She smiled at him, and he leaned over and kissed her. She didn't shy away, but held his head close, licking at his lips. He crawled over Daniel to her, and stretched out over her, sliding his mouth from her mouth to her throat to her breasts. She was wet from watching him blow Daniel, and he smiled against her skin. He slid inside of her easily and rocked slowly, staring down at her, wishing they had one more day. She came with head arched back, calling his name, and he followed soon after.

It was a good day, but far too short. It was dark when they arrived back at the farmhouse. Cam laid awake all night, listening to them breathe on either side of him.

++

"Sir," Alamar shimmered brightly, agitated by the Governor's seeming indifference. "We need more troops. General Mitchell has stated we are in danger of being overrun within 2 planetary revolutions!"

"And how do you expect us to acquire them, transport them and imprint the skills and memories needed, all in 2 revolutions, Alamar?"

"Sir, we should retreat then."

"Commander Verlok is on the ground now. He will win this war for us."

"Sir, General Mitchell…"

The Governor became rigidly corporeal. "Locate General Mitchell on the ground and bring him here. I wish to speak to him directly."

"But, the law…"

"Forget the law. I'm the law here. I wish to speak to Mitchell myself!"

"An excellent idea," a voice said suddenly from the doorway. Alamar turned with a gasp, his form flickering wildly at the dark-haired, female Tau'ri who stood before them. Behind her a silent Jaffa, dark and huge, stepped up and glared. The woman gave them a broad smile that never reached her eyes. "We'd like to speak to him ourselves."

++

The grenade went off right in front of her. Cam watched with dawning horror as a white flash encompassed both Sam and the fallen soldier she was trying to drag to safety. Dirt and stone hurtled up into the air and smoke swirled around, covering her.

Cam leapt up out of the trench and ran toward her. "Sam!"

Bullets popped next to his ears and hit the ground by his feet, but he ignored them. _No. NO._ The smoke was starting to drift away now, showing her prone form on the ground, the injured soldier nearly on top of her. He slid in the dirt beside her, reaching down to press dirty fingers against her bloody neck. He had to force himself to sit still for the moment it took to feel her pulse. But it was there.

The soldier on top of her was dead, and Cam pushed him off. The bullets that had shadowed him all the way here suddenly stopped, and he looked up to see approaching shapes through the smoke. He slid his arms under Sam, pulling her against him as he stood up. The shapes were flying toward them, the first one breaking the smokescreen as he finally got Sam into his arms and started to turn.

A distant crack measured up to a sudden hole in the Palladian solder's head, and he dropped sideways onto the ground. The next met the same fate, and Cam turned and ran. _Keep it up, Daniel. Good boy._

The shots kept coming, and no one touched him. He ran back through their own frontline and set Sam on the ground. There was blood on her face and neck, but her pulse was strong. When he examined her uniform, he didn't find any holes or ragged wounds. _She'll be okay, she'll be okay, she'll…_ He chanted to himself, trying to make it true. He picked her up again, intending on carrying her all the way to the command post and the Treyan's medical help.

There was a mass of confused voices suddenly from behind him and the mortar attack stopped. He turned to find his soldiers milling about in a panic, pointing toward the battlefield. When he stood he saw a transport ship, a Goa'uld Tel'tak, skimming the battle. The Palladians were firing at it, but it was too big. It released a hail of laser fire across the landscape, sending the Palladians scrambling back toward their camp.

Cam's soldiers raised their rifles, but the Tel'tak was landing, and it didn't fire on them.

"Cease fire!" he shouted immediately. His order was repeated down the line.

As he watched, the door swung open and Teal'c came down the ramp, heavily armed with two machine guns. Behind him trailed Vala, and she spotted him immediately. She stood in the doorway to the ship and smirked at him, cocking her hip. "Well," she drawled, over the stunned silence. "General Mitchell, I presume!"

Cam shifted Sam in his arms and stared at her in disbelief.

++

"The Treyans are capable of shifting their density," Teal'c stated, glancing at the rest of SG-1. "Primitive explosives, of the type found on Earth, disrupt their ability, making them substantial again and subject to harm."

Vala continued, "So when their arch enemy, the Palladians, attacked them such primitive weapons, the Treyans had no choice but to find soldiers skilled in the use of such things." She shrugged.

"They had a choice," Cameron said grimly. He stared at her from across the table, arms folded over his chest. "They could have chosen to ask for help. They could have chosen to surrender. They could have chosen any number of alternatives to brainwashing soldiers to fight and die for them against their will."

Vala shrugged in acquiescence. "They were quite impressed with you. None of your predecessors lasted longer than two weeks."

Cam didn't reply. He glanced at Sam, and then glared at the table. Sam just shook her head slightly and then glanced at Daniel. He stared down at the pen in his hands, twisting it in his fingers. She touched his sleeve lightly. He glanced at her hand and pressed his lips together, but he didn't move his arm.

He glanced up at General Landry. "What happened to the rest of the soldiers?"

Landry met his gaze. "They were given the choice of staying or returning home. Most of them went home."

Daniel nodded. "And the Treyans?"

Landry shrugged. "Nothing much. We have no jurisdiction over their government, so the repercussions are still being debated. They'll likely survive the war since the Palladians took the same path to raising an army."

"What?" Daniel's head jerked up and he stared at the General.

Landry leaned forward, his elbows on the table. "The Palladians abducted other beings and pressed them into military service, just like the Treyans did. Their casualties were nearly identical to the Treyan's."

Daniel stared at him. "They were innocent people?"

Landry's expression changed to one of worry. "Dr. Jackson, there was no way for you to know…" He trailed off as Daniel suddenly jumped up and bolted from the room. Sam jumped up right after, barely glancing at General Landry for permission before she ran after him.

Cam stared after them both and then deliberately rose and followed.

++

Sam was just in time to see Daniel disappear into the men's bathroom. She hesitated outside the door for a moment and the pushed it in slightly. "Daniel?"

She heard him cough, but no one else replied. She stepped tentatively inside. The room was empty except for Daniel hunched over a toilet in an empty stall. She walked quietly forward as he heaved again, emptying his stomach.

He rested there afterward, hand covering his eyes, and Sam eased down onto her heels next to him, sliding an arm around his waist. She watched the tears wet his cheeks and his hand, rolling silently. She had no idea what to say, so she just rested her forehead against his shoulder. He didn't say a word, but his arm came up to cover her head and hold her to him, fingers buried in her hair.

They stayed that way until Cameron found them and pulled them up into his arms.

++

**One Month Later**

"We've been through a lot together, Daniel. More than enough to screw us both up permanently, even before the Treyan war." Sam leaned back against the deck railing and looked at him.

Daniel nodded silently, looking out over the mountain valley as he leaned on the railing beside her. "I know." He glanced over at her and then turned, sliding his arm behind her and resting it against her back. "That was more than just comfort sex, Sam. A hell of a lot more."

It was her turn to nod then, and she glanced toward the gravel driveway where Daniel's car was parked. "I don't know, I just… It had been so long I'd been with anyone who really _knew_ me. And it was you, and you're so familiar and all these… feelings just came out of nowhere."

"There was something there in the beginning," he said, reaching up with his fingers to trace along the new, razor-thin scar on her cheek. "But the timing was all wrong, and the situation, and then…" He trailed away, hesitant.

"And then Jack," she finished for him.

"That was the real barrier, wasn't it?" He said quietly.

She glanced at him. "Did you ever?" She lifted her eyebrows.

He lifted one corner of his mouth and shook his head. "No. You?"

She shook her head. "No."

"You know, if it makes you feel any better, I just think we got too close. He couldn't tolerate that. He'd already stared down the barrel of a gun when Charlie died, he couldn't take that again. If one of us never came back from a mission…"

Sam wrapped her arms around herself and took a deep breath. "If Kerry makes him happy, he deserves to have that peace."

Daniel squeezed her shoulder. "We deserve that peace too."

She smiled faintly at him. "You think our window came back around?"

He leaned down and pressed a kiss to her temple. "I think our window never left. I think we were just ignoring it."

"But that's so out of character for us," Sam quipped.

Daniel laughed and then sobered. "It's just, after all of this, I'm not sure I'm fit for anyone else anymore."

Sam slid her arms around him, pressing her face into his neck. "Thanks."

He squeezed her tight. "I didn't mean it like that. You're not fit for anyone else either."

She snorted into his neck. "Thanks!"

"I give up," he grumbled.

She lifted her head and grinned at him. He kissed her lightly, then again. She slid her hands around his neck and pressed his head forward, parting her lips to kiss him long and slow.

When she broke off, he pulled his head back. "Let's not start that again, this railing breaks and we're in trouble."

She smiled, and there was a distant rumble that grew louder. They turned as gravel crunched beneath tires and Cam's Mustang pulled in and parked next to Daniel's. "Speaking of trouble," she chirped brightly.

The car door opened, and Cam stepped out. He paused there, looking at them, waiting.

"He'll never hold back," Daniel said to her, quietly. "He'll run headlong into it all and enjoy every second, even when it's painful."

Sam nodded in his arms. "Even when he loses his pants."

Daniel laughed. "What do you say?" His expression turned cautious. "There's still regs to worry about…"

She tilted her head with a smile. "I say we have a whole week off and we'd better get busy."

Cam smiled at them as they walked toward him.

~end~


End file.
